Set an Example

In today’s Bible reading*, Paul tells Timothy to guard against people looking down on him because of his youth. We don’t know how old Timothy is. There may have been some concern that this young pastor may not have enough experience or maturity to fulfill his ministry. There’s a lot to be said about someone…

Do You Pass the Test?

I’ve had my share of tests. I’ve done well on many. I’ve done poorly on some. In today’s Bible reading*, Paul urges the Corinthians to examine themselves to see if they pass the test of faith. (2 Corinthians 13:5) Actually, Paul asks the Corinthians two questions: 1) Are you in the faith? and 2) Do…

Paul’s Thorn

If you’ve been around church for a while, you may have heard of Paul’s “thorn in the flesh”. Today’s Bible reading* includes Paul’s brief discussion of his thorn. Paul never tells us specifically what his thorn was. Obviously, he was using the word as a metaphor for something else. Some have speculated it was poor…

Another Jesus, Spirit, and Gospel

A few years ago, the Parker County Texas Sheriff’s Department (in the county where I pastor) issued a warning about counterfeit money being passed off as being legitimate. In a news conference, they highlighted the easily-discerned marks of these counterfeit bills. Anyone who has handled much money should be able to spot these counterfeits, if…

Good Grief!

Here we are again, looking at frequently-occurring words. Today’s word is grief. It appears in one form or another eight times in only four verses (2 Corinthians 7:7-10) in today’s Bible reading*. The Greek word translated as grief in English means “to be sad as the result of what has happened or what one has…